Improvement in door and drawer plates



E. S. HOTHAM.

Door and Drawer Plates. No.I52,94 9, Patentedlu|y14,1874.

WITN 5s555= INVZNTEIQ- THE GRAPHIC CO. PNOTO'LITILBSE 4| PARK PLACEJ'LY,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDMOND S. HOTHAM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN DOOR AND DRAWER PLATES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 152,949, dated July 14,1874; application filed June 15, 187.4.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMoND STUART HOTHAM, of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door and Drawer Plates; and I do hereby declare that the fol- I lowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in that class of door-plates, labels, or signs in which the name or words are composed of movable letters set into an opening in the plate or frame, and consists in a means of securing such letters in any position in which they may be placed, whether in a straight or curved plate or frame.

Figure 1 is a front view of a door-plate according to my invention, a part of the front edge of the opening of the plate being removed to show the corrugated sunken edge back of it. Fig. 2 is a back view. Fig. 3 is a letter to go in the plate. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of plate through the opening. Fig. 5 is a modification of my invention.

A is a plate, having an opening, a, behind which is arecess in the back of the plate, somewhat larger than the opening a, and designated 'by a. The upper and lower edges of this recess are corrugated or ser-v rated, the corrugations or serrations being hid in a front view by the edges of the opening a. D is a letter cast, carved, or stamped on a block, the edges of which project beyond the top and bottom of the letter, and are corrugated or serrated to correspond with the corrugations or serrations in the edges of the recess in the back of the plate A. The block is to be inserted in the recess a, the letter toward the front, and projecting through the opening a, the corrugations or serrations on the edges of the block fitting into those on the edges of the recess a, and when the plate is fastened back against a door or other place the letters cannot be moved endwise the opening, so the proper space between the letters is always preserved, -and there is no necessity of space-blocks or screws for tightening. Different sized and shaped plates can be kept on hand, and the letters can be fitted thereto as desired. The plate is fastened by hook-bolts, which pass through the door or other object, and hook into lugs sunk into cavities in the back of the plate, or otherwise, according to shape of article to which to be atfixed.

In the modification of my invention shown in Fig. 5, the edges of the blocks are left plain, and logs or pins project from the front thereof, and these pins fit into holes made in the back of the plate around the opening. There may or may not be a recess similar to a, as desired. The frame may also be made of sheet metal, and have teeth or tags around the edges of the opening a, said teeth or tags to be bent back and pass through holes in the letters, and again bent to one side, superfluous tags being bent up out of sight.

Having now described the construction of my door-plate, label, or sign, I claim and tie sire to secure by Letters Patent- A sign or door-plate consisting of the base A, having an opening therein, the inner edges of which are serrated, recessed, or pierced to receive and hold in position removable letterblocks provided with corresponding serrations or pins, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own invention, I atfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDMOND STUART HOTHAM.

Witnesses FREDERIC PDNTZ SMITH, WILLIAM HILLEE CLEVELAND. 

